Adaptations to the Tropical Rainforest Environment - Paper 1 Flashcards
Give 3 factors that help plants survive in poor soils:
-A rapid cycling of nutrients
-Absorption of sunlight, leading to photosynthesis
-Warm, humid climate.
How can leaves cope with the large amount of water from rainfall?
Many are waxy and have tips that allow water to run off them.
Give 3 ways that vegetation copes with both the heat and heavy rainfall:
-Using the circulating water as a cooling system
-Passing water to the soil or atmosphere
-Having leaves that can cope with large amount of rainfall.
What are parasitic plants?
Plants that are in the lowest layers which receive small amounts of sunlight and have had to develop a way of attaching themselves to a host plant to share its supply of food and water.
What is the main source of competition among animals in rainforests?
Competition for food.
What are 3 survival strategies among animals in rainforests?
-Camouflage
-Poisonous with bright colours to warn other animals.
Give 2 examples of an animal with survival strategies:
-Arrow frogs
-Three toed sloths
What are buttress roots and how are they adapted to rainforest conditions?
They are large roots with ridges to create a large surface area and extra support for large trees.
What are lianas and how are they adapted to rainforest conditions?
They are parasitic vines which climb up trees to reach sunlight.
What are drip tips and how are they adapted to rainforest conditions?
They are pointy tips on leaves which allow water to run off the leaves quickly and reduce damage done to them.
What are 4 adaptations of the three-toed sloth?
-Extra vertebrae to be able to turn neck 270 degree to check for predators
-Can swim in floods (high rainfall = surface run off)
-Grow green algae in fur to camouflage
-Long claws to climb trees
